Tick, Tock
by Lady Sharp
Summary: A new transfer student has arrived at Hogwarts, and she's brought with her a dark secret that could either cause her ascent or her downfall.
1. Another World

Disclaimer: This is my first attempt at writing a Harry Potter fan fiction, so please bear with me. It'll be a bit choppy at first.

Also, I do not own any aspects of the Harry Potter series. I only own the plot of this fan fiction and the character of Juno Moreau.

**Prologue - The Danger Ahead**

_"Where is it? Where is the broach?"_

_"Like I'd tell you! What do you need it for, anyway?"_

_"Enough! I will not be back sassed by muggle filth!"_

The metallic taste of blood filled Juno's mouth as she was flung across the long, dark room by a very hard slap across the face. If her hands hadn't been bound together by silvery ropes, she would have reached for her wand to defend herself. As it was, they had taken that important item from her, which left her with little chance of defending herself. She was attempting to move herself into a standing position, when a hand closed around her dark hair and pulled her up forcefully. She cursed and whimpered quietly, feeling as though her head was about to split in two as the cold blade of a knife was pressed gently, teasingly against her throat.

_"I will ask you one more time. Where is the broach?"_

Juno was about to spit out another remark of sarcasm, when emerald flames erupted in the fireplace, and half a dozen or so witches and wizards stumbled out, gaining composure quickly and training their wands on the hooded figure that pressed the blade to Juno's throat. The person merely laughed, as if one of them had told a humorous joke. Snapping his fingers, eleven black clouds of smoke erupted inside the room. When the smoke disappeared, hooded figures remained. Without wasting a second, they flicked their wands in the direction of the group, binding the hands of each person in similar fashion to Juno's, before taking them roughly by the arms and dragging them to either side of the room.

_"Now, you have a choice, my dear. Either tell us where the broach is, or watch your friends die."_

**Chapter One - Another World**

_"All aboard the Hogwarts Express! We will depart in five minutes!"_

The hub of families standing on Platform 9 3/4 said their final good-byes quickly and dispersed as students of varying ages - mostly younger ones - ran onto the train eagerly. There was a fair amount of babble and chatter with a mixture of accents, but two would manage to stick out the most to anyone lending a prying ear to the various conversation. A girl of about sixteen years of age, slender and standing at an average height, tucked a loose strand of chocolate colored hair behind her ear as she looked up to a woman who looked just like the former, but with a slightly more harsh and ragged appearance. The older woman managed a half-smile as she looked back to the girl.

"You'd better get going," she spoke in an accident that clearly indicated she was from the States. "They don't have multiple trains to Hogwarts like they have multiple buses to Edenbrook."

The girl nodded, but she looked pale and nervous. "I'm scared, Mom. What if I don't fit in? I mean, they have four houses. What if mine hates me?"

The conductor called out a final warning, and the mother of the girl hugged her quickly. "You'll be fine. And hey, if they do, it's not like you'll be around them for the next to years."

"Mom!"

"Get on the train." The woman chuckled and winked jokingly at her daughter's protest, giving her a gentle shove towards the scarlet steam engine. "And don't forget to send me an owl once you're settled in!"

The girl had made it on the train, but she still looked out to her mother and nodded as the train began to move. Within a minute, she had lost sight of her mother. Sighing heavily, the girl grabbed ahold of her trunk and began walking down the corridor, looking left and right for an empty compartment. She was far from lucky, however - it seemed that every compartment was full, crowding with people that were talking, laughing, or playing exploding snap. She was getting more and more discouraged, when she finally came across one that was completely vacant, except for one passenger - a tall and lanky boy with unruly dark hair and spectacles, who looked to be the same age as her. Considering her options, the girl opened the door and stuck her head in.

"This seat taken?" she asked, pointing to the empty seat across from him. He looked up, blinking his green eyes, before shaking his head.

"No, er.. go ahead."

The girl muttered "thanks", before dragging her trunk in and dropping the end on the floor, making a soft _thud_. She then sat herself down across from the boy, crossing her legs.

"I'm Juno, by the way. Juno Moreau." _Hey, I might as well introduce myself,_ she thought, offering her hand and hoping he'd shake it - otherwise, she'd look like an ass.

Thankfully, the boy did take it. "I'm..." he trailed off, debating on what he was going to say, before making up his mind. "I'm Harry. Harry Potter."

"Nice to meet you, Harry." Juno spoke, managing a smile before letting go of his fingers and rubbing her own hands together.

Harry blinked, trying to determine if she was joking. When she didn't say anything, he just nodded. "Yeah, you too." he managed, before raising his eyebrows slightly. "I've never seen you around the castle before... what house are you in?"

"Don't have one yet," Juno spoke, pulling a box of candy and an odd, multi-colored cube from her bag. She opened the top of the box and held it out to Harry. "Sour Patch Kid?"

"Sure," Harry spoke, though he was still a little confused. "What do you mean you don't know? Anyone above first year has a house."

Juno popped a red piece of candy in her mouth, twisting and turning the cube. "I'm new. A transfer student. From America."

Harry raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Oh. Well, that makes much more sense." He didn't understand why he didn't put two and two together before - she didn't have an accent and she seemed completely oblivious to who he was, which was a refreshing change of pace from the normal reaction of people wildly shaking his hand or asking for a picture with him.

The rest of the train ride consisted of Harry and Juno sharing light conversation, most in which Harry listened to Juno talk about America, the way their wizarding school was set up, and so on and so forth. When he asked why she decided to transfer, however, she had changed the subject by rubbing her eyes, yawning, and declaring she would take a nap before arrival at Hogwarts.

That had been a little over an hour ago, and since then, the sky had darkened considerably and the countryside was melting into the village of Hogsmeade as the train slowed to a stop. Harry poked Juno's shoulder a bit, until she rubbed her eyes and sat up.

"Time to get off. You should probably put on your robe," he added, leaving the compartment to give her a bit of privacy. After a couple of minutes, Juno emerged in a robe similar to those that the first years wore, aside from the fact that it was about five times as big. She couldn't spot Harry anywhere, and when she got off the train, she was told she would file into a boat with the first years. She didn't like kids that much, but Juno managed to distract herself by looking at the water of the lake, and later at the castle when they arrived. When she made contact with solid ground again, she couldn't help but find it completely real now that Hogwarts was going to be her new home.

She didn't have time to think about that as she was ushered into the entrance hall of the castle with the other first years, where they were lectured by a stern-looking professor about some basic rules and that they were to behave during the sorting ceremony. Juno stayed in the back, feeling a bit annoyed by all the stares she was getting from the first years, before following them into The Great Hall, where, to her immense dread, there were a good seven hundred other people.

Standing on the end of a long line, she waited nervously. Brown eyes sweeping the room, they came in contact with a familiar pair of emerald green ones. The owner gave her a reassuring smile, before turning and saying something to the bushy and brown-haired girl next to him. Name after name was called, until -

"Moreau, Juno!"

Juno hadn't realized how shaky her legs were, until she began walking up to the stool, where the hat was. She sat down, and slowly placed the hat on her head, when it began to speak in her mind.

_Ah, a sixth year? Well, this is certainly a change. And an American! I can see that you do hold a decent amount of knowledge, but certainly not enough initiative to be in Ravenclaw. You do have a considerable amount of ambition, a willingness to do whatever it takes to reach your goals... but, there is an underlying need to follow your gut and give into your impulses. You are also fairly stubborn... Where to put you?_

_'Will you just make up your mind already? This is weird.'_

_Oh, impatient and an attitude? I know just where to put you..._

CLIFFHANGER! Yeah, I know, I suck. Want to know where Juno's put and what happens next? Stay tuned! Oh, you should leave me a review, too. Let me know what I should change and what I'm doing well!


	2. Adjustments

Hey readers, it's time for chapter two! Please keep your hands and feet inside the fan fiction at all times, and please remember that I do not own anything Harry Potter related. I do own a keyboard, mint chocolate chip ice cream, and Juno Moreau. Have any thoughts on this fan fiction or suggestions to improve it? Leave a review!

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><p><strong>Chapter Two - Adjustments<strong>

Juno had been sitting on the stool so long, waiting to be sorted, that her rear was starting to go numb. The longest the sorting hat had ever really taken on a sorting was about forty-five seconds. Juno, however, had been up there for at least a minute and a half. In sorting ceremony time, that was almost an hour. Juno shifted her weight on the stool, and the hat opened it's mouth wide, bellowing out it's decision.

"GRYFFINDOR!" it resounded in it's gruff voice. As Juno pulled the hat off her head, the hall erupted with clapping and cheering from the table decorated in scarlet and gold. Juno couldn't help but smile as she joined her house table, a few people scooting down the long bench to make a space for her to sit. She wedged herself between a dark-skinned girl and a redheaded boy with freckles. She had been watching the remainder of the sorting ceremony with only half interest when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hmm?" She mumbled, turning over the shoulder that was tapped to face the slightly familiar face of Harry and the bushy-haired girl she had seen while standing at the front of the hall, waiting to be sorted.

"Is it true, you're from America?" The girl asked, giving a slight smile. "I've always wanted to visit the United States, to see the Library of Congress..."

Juno was about to answer her question, when the redhead sitting next to her spoke up.

"Merlin, Hermione. You're trying getting a head start on annoying the new folk this year, aren't you?"

The bushy-haired girl called Hermione clenched her jaw and rolled her eyes. "I'm not annoying her, Ronald. I'm just being friendly. Of course, that's probably a new concept for you."

The boy named Ronald was about to fire an insult back at Hermione, when Juno interrupted them.

"No, no, it's alright." She looked from Hermione to Ron, then back again at Hermione. "Yeah, I'm from the states. And the Library of Congress isn't that great."

Hermione looked flabbergasted at this statement. "Not that great? It's the largest library in the world!"

"Yeah," Juno said, nodding. "But, you can't check out any of the books and the guards freak out if you get too close to the documents. Especially the Declaration of Independence."

"So, you've been to the Library of Congress?" Harry interrupted, before Hermione could get random facts in about the Library of Congress.

Juno nodded. "Once, when I was thirteen. It was a class field trip for History of Magic. It turns out that George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson were wizards."

Hermione nodded as well, and was about to say something when Dumbledore began to speak.

"A new year is among us to start out on a clean slate. May I first start by introducing you to the newest member of our staff at Hogwarts, Horace Slughorn."

Dumbledore gestured with his left hand to the newest face on the Hogwarts staff table - a tall, plump man with a balding head and walrus moustache. He stood, waved a hand to the four house tables as the hall clapped politely, and then sat down. When the clapping died, Dumbledore continued.

"Yes, yes. Professor Slughorn will be resuming his old post as Potion's Master. Meanwhile, the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts will be taken by Professor Snape."

Professor Snape, who sat on the right of Professor Slughorn, remained in his seat and stared in a bored and unamused fashion as there was sporadic applause from three house tables, and enthusiastic applause from the Slytherin table.

"And finally, along with the first years, I would like to welcome a new edition to the sixth years. Juno Moreau is a transfer student from the Edenbrook School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry in America. I expect you, as the students, to help her adjust to the castle and get her aquainted with the system around here." Dumbledore nodded once, smiling brightly before clearing his throat. "Now, enough of that. Enjoy!"

With a clap of his hands, food and drink appeared all across the four house tables. Juno's face had reddened a considerable amount, but she managed a grin when she saw the food, her stomach grumbling loud and low to remind her how empty it was. Still, it was not loud enough to be heard over the outbreak of chatter and conversation. Juno began helping herself to a few slices of beef, a couple of spoonfulls of mashed potatos, and a considerable amount of noodles. She wasn't accustomed to the food for dinner appearing on the table, but she certainly didn't mind.

Juno had taken a large mouthful of noodles hungrily, before looking up at the people across from her - Harry and Hermione.

"I thought Slughorn was supposed to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor?" Hermione raised an eyebrow while placing some sort of cassarole onto her plate. Harry nodded, drinking from his goblet before answering.

"That's what I thought, too. I don't get it."

Ron had shoveled a good portion of mince meat pie into his mouth, and when a portion of it had disappeared into his stomach, he spoke. "Well, Snape is right where he wants to be."

Hermione made a face, but decided against saying anything along the lines of 'you disgusting pig, chew with your mouth closed!'. Juno raised an eyebrow, pausing as her goblet was halfway to her mouth.

"Is this a bad thing, Snape being the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor?" She wasn't sure what to think of anything going on - after all, she didn't know who or what was good and bad yet. She got her answer as she took a drink from her goblet.

"It's horrible," Harry muttered, cutting up a peice of porkc chop before chewing it. "I think he might be enough to make me quit my favorite subject."

"You can't let Snape ruin Defense Against the Dark Arts for you, Harry." Hermione was now poking at her steamed carrots with her fork. "Besides, you probably already know half of what we'll be learning this year."

"Not particularly," Harry spoke, but he did manage a smile.

Juno had been pushing food around her plate now, feeling slightly left out of the conversation. She looked down the Gryffindor table, at everyone who was laughing and talking joyously. These people had known each other for years. Juno felt like she was intruding on their usual routine when they came back from summer holidays. Maybe she shouldn't have left Edenbrook...

"Juno?"

"Huh? Oh!" Juno looked over to Ron, who had spoke her name, judging by the slightly irritated look on his face, a few times. "What?" was all she could think to ask.

"Why are you here?"

Juno blinked, an expression bewilderment crossing her face. Hermione kicked Ron hard underneath the table, and he fought back a swear word as his face turned red. "Hermione! What was that for?"

"You can be so rude sometimes!" Hermione hissed, glaring at Ron. When she turned to Juno, it melted into a calmer, more friendly expression. "What I'm sure Ron meant was, what made you decide to transfer?"

"Oh," Juno spoke softly, biting her lower lip. "I..." she looked down at her mashed potatoes, and then back up. All three of them were looking expectant for an answer, as were some people around them that had quieted their conversations to lend a prying ear to what Juno would say.

"I needed a change of scenery," Juno spoke, twirling her fork around the plate. "And I wanted to come some place where I could speak the language on a level beyond a second grader."

Hermione blinked a couple of times, beforing muttering "oh," softly. She looked like she wanted to say something else, and Harry looked like he didn't believe her explanation. Thankfully, the slightly awkward silence was broken when Professor Dumbeldore stood once more.

"Now, with your bellies full, I expect that we are all ready for a nice night's sleep before classes start tomorrow. You've had pleanty of time over the summer to empty your minds of what you've learned in the previous years, and your Professors are more than ready to fill that space with more knowledge than before. Pip pip!"

And, with a clap of his hands, the food disappeared off the plates. Chatter filled the hall as everyone stood, stretched, and started moving towards the open doorways that lead out of The Great Hall. Hermione managed to shout over the noise of everyone and instruct the Gryffindors to follow her up to Gryffindor tower. Juno followed behind an Indian girl and a lighter-skinned one who had several colorful headbands in her hair. They had linked arms and were talking animatedly - Juno was allowing her eyes to sweep the rest of the hall, so she didn't notice she was walking next to Harry until their eyes met.

"You didn't come here for a change of scenery." It wasn't a question, or an accusation. Juno blinked, frowning.

"How can you be so sure?" she asked, shoving her hands into her pockets as they came closer to the door. Harry shrugged.

"It seems a bit ridiculous to travel halfway across the world to acheive a change of scenery." He paused, turning over a thought in his mind, before speaking again. "That, and Europe isn't exactly the safest place for a witch or wizard right now."

"Yeah?" Juno spoke, arching an eyebrow. Her tone was seething with irritation. "Neither is America." She then bit her lower lip and looked away, realizing she had said too much. She picked up her pace, making her way towards the front of the line. To her great releif, Harry didn't follow.

Once out of The Great Hall, Juno had more of an opportunity to observe the castle as she followed behind her house mates up to the common room. One thing that she certainly wasn't used to was the moving staircases - she lost her balance on one and nearly caused a domino effect for everyone behind her. Needless to say, they were pretty irritated about that, and she found herself at the end of the line soon enough. Unfortunately, she wasn't alone.

"What could possibly be so bad that you make up a lie as to why you've transferred to a new school?" Again, Harry was badgering her, pressing for an answer. Still, Juno didn't give him one. She didn't answer at all. Keeping her gaze forward, she waited for the portrait of an overweight woman in a long, ruffled ball gown to swing open, and followed behind everyone else to get inside. She practically sprinted behind the girls from earlier that were linked arm-in-arm, into the safety of the girls' dormitories. Things finally seemed to quiet down a bit, though she was confused as to which dorm she would sleep in, so she followed the two girls in front of her.

She had chosen the right people to follow - as she entered the dorm, she saw that the only two four-posters that were unoccupied were one with a ginger cat curled up on the covers, and one with a set of Gryffindor robes on the other. She walked over to the latter, picking the robes neatly off the bedspread and placing them in one of the drawers of the dresser at the end of her bed. She then popped open her trunk, fished out a pair of pajamas, and changed into them quickly before clambering into bed. She hadn't realized how tired she was until her head hit the soft, cool surface of the pillow, and she drifted off to sleep soon afterwards.

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><p>Yeah, another sucky ending, I know. I'm horrible at endings... Anyway, I'll have chapter three up (hopefully) soon! I hope you enjoy this one, and don't forget to give me some advice and critiques!<p> 


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